St Francis of Assisi School teachers have biggest classes in northern Melbourne
A special Leader analysis has delved into the schools in northern Melbourne to see which ones are the best resourced with teachers. See how your school compares.
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The schools with northern Melbourne’s most crowded and best resourced classrooms have been revealed.
An analysis of national data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority has revealed the schools where teachers have the most students in class.
The figures show in 2018 in the northern Melbourne region there were more students per teacher at St Francis of Assisi School in Mill Park than any other.
According to the data, which includes all state and private schools, St Francis of Assisi School had 19.8 students for every teacher.
The second highest student-teacher ratios were at Diamond Creek East Primary School where there was an average of 18.4.
At Wales Street Primary School there were 18.2 students for every teacher, the region’s third highest.
In contrast there one teacher for every 4.1 students at Broadmeadows Special Developmental School, the region’s lowest ratio.
The second lowest ratio was at Northern School For Autism where there were 4.1 students per teacher.
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The figures show at Glenroy Specialist School there were 4.2 students per teacher, the third lowest ratio in the northern Melbourne region.
Eltham College had the lowest student-teacher ratio of the non-specialist schools.
Principal Simon Le Plastrier said he wanted to keep the size of the school at a level where they could maintain positive relationships between students and teachers and parents and the school.
“I’m a great believer that education is about relationships,” he said.
“I want to try and make it so when we have reunions everyone knows everyone.
“Teachers with larger ratios do a great job — they have to think differently and operate their classrooms differently.”
Mr Le Plastrier said a smaller ratio allowed students a greater opportunity to get involved in extra-curricular activities such as theatre.
He said he didn’t ever want them to be bigger than 130 in a year group at secondary level — currently the school was at 80-90.
According to ACARA, the national student-teacher ratio was 13.5 students for every teacher.
Across the country independent private schools had the lowest student to teacher ratios with 11.7 students to every teacher.
Government schools had an average of 13.8 students for every teacher while Catholic schools had an average of 14 students for every teacher.
Student-teacher ratios do not take into account teacher aides or non-teaching staff at schools, only the full-time equivalent teachers.
NORTHERN MELBOURNE’S MOST CROWDED CLASSROOMS:
St Francis of Assisi School: 19.8 students per teacher
Diamond Creek East Primary School: 18.4 students per teacher
Wales Street Primary School: 18.2 students per teacher
Sherbourne Primary School: 17.7 students per teacher
St Thomas the Apostle School: 17.7 students per teacher
Kangaroo Ground Primary School: 17.7 students per teacher
Briar Hill Primary School: 17.7 students per teacher
Northcote Primary School: 17.6 students per teacher
St Carlo Borromeo School: 17.6 students per teacher
St Mary’s School: 17.5 students per teacher
NORTHERN MELBOURNE’S LEAST CROWDED CLASSROOMS:
Broadmeadows Special Developmental School: 4.1 students per teacher
Northern School For Autism: 4.1 students per teacher
Glenroy Specialist School: 4.2 students per teacher
Merriang Special Developmental School: 4.5 students per teacher
Diamond Valley Special Developmental School: 4.5 students per teacher
Jacana School for Autism: 4.9 students per teacher
Hume Valley School: 5.5 students per teacher
Croxton Special School: 5.7 students per teacher
Concord School: 7.2 students per teacher
Eltham College: 7.8 students per teacher
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